Pint-sized pilot Captain Olimar has crashed his spaceship the SS Dolphin II yet again, finding himself on another world populated by the mysterious plant-like Pikmin creatures. Finding that even here they strangely respond to his commands, Olimar sets out to use their unique skills to recover enough Sparklium to repair his ship and return home.

Essentially, this is the familiar set up for every Pikmin game to date, from Shigeru Miyamoto's original 2001 pet project on the GameCube to the long-delayed Pikmin 3 on the Wii U (albeit Olimar's absence as the main playable character there). However, for this Nintendo 3DS outing, the game shifts from a 3D real-time strategy to a 2D scroller, changing both scale and tone.

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This handheld take on Pikmin is really more of an environmental puzzle game, with Olimar exploring stages for both Sparklium seeds and rare treasure – the detritus of human civilisation because, twist, it's all taking place on Earth. The dopey captain himself can only move left and right across the screen though, while eventually repairing his jet pack gives a bit of vertical thrust to reach slightly higher or more distant ledges. Interacting with the world is done entirely via the 3DS' touchscreen, tapping to throw Pikmin at enemies to attack, or using your whistle to summon them back to you.

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To really complete stages, you'll need to rely on the abilities of the five Pikmin types you'll encounter. Reds are immune to fire, yellows can be thrown farther and are unfazed by electricity, blues can swim, Rock Pikmin are super-durable and can smash tough barriers, while fairy-like Winged Pikmin can fly and carry Olimar, allowing for controlled descents to reach trickier locations. Using the right Pikmin at the right time, or against the right enemies, will help you access new areas and find the precious Sparklium.

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However, you'll only ever find the Pikmin you need to complete a level – no Winged Pikmin in an aquatic level, for instance – which is a bit like being handed the solution to a test. There's very little in the way of trial and error, with the solution to any obstacle almost immediately apparent. Failures you make come more from misjudging the timing of enemy creature movements than they do any real challenge. Disappointingly, the five Pikmin varieties on offer are also the exact same types found in 2014's Pikmin 3, which makes Hey! Pikmin feel more like reheated leftovers than a fresh-cooked meal.

Simplicity in itself is no bad thing, though. Hey! Pikmin has an almost pastoral charm, with its loosely camouflaged natural world and gentle music providing a pleasant alternative to more hectic fare. It's positively relaxing at times.

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The problem is, it's almost too relaxing. To say Hey! Pikmin is glacially paced is to overstate the speed at which bodies of ice move (even accounting for recent shocking accelerations). Olimar moves at exactly one speed – slow – and the lackadaisical tempo starts to grate, especially when you know exactly what you need to do and where to go but everything.... takes.... so.... long.

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More frustrating than the pace though is the lack of checkpointing. Make your way through one of the lengthier, slower stages but mess up somehow right at the end? That'll be another 20 minutes of your time, please. It's an acceptable challenge when you're sat at home, testing you to make perfect runs through each world relying on precision and memory, but for portable gaming – where a speed bump or the jostle of a fellow passenger can interfere with your intended plan – the lack of mid-stage resets feels a needless irritant. At least the mini-cutscenes introducing each level's Pikmin and certain key enemies can be skipped if you've seen them once.

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Hey! Pikmin is the first entry in the series not to be developed internally by Nintendo. Instead, Arzest does the heavy lifting, and the difference shows. Although no stranger to Nintendo properties (Arzest previously created Yoshi's New Island, Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, and even the Mii Plaza for the 3DS' inbuilt Streetpass feature, this lacks that essential Nintendo spark.

That Streetpass legacy hasn't been forgotten either, as this packs in a similar minigame. Pikmin Park sees all the Pikmin you've safely escorted through a level congregating around your ship, and excavating the surrounding areas in search of more resources. Each of the five Pikmin species can clear one type of debris, and there are five areas to clean up in search of extra Sparklium. It's a nice little bonus mode, but very much a background feature – a couple of taps assigns Pikmin to work, with a new discovery made automatically after every few stages played.

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One element that does stand out, however, is the animation. Each individual Pikmin is loaded with character and personality. Some will trip and fall behind, others are energetic, or quizzical, or angry, all conveyed brilliantly despite their minuscule forms and the minimal screen real estate of the 3DS. Having a maximum of 20 Pikmin per stage (down from 100 in the home console games) no doubt helps here, as does the 2D layout giving Arzest's animators more control.

Ultimately, Hey! Pikmin feels like a distraction, a time filler until the next 'proper' Pikmin arrives on Nintendo Switch – whenever that may be. While often delightful and frequently pleasant, its simple charms can't make up for extreme simplicity and a turgid pace. One best suited for Pikmin purists, if such a breed exists.